Apparatus for controlling the lateral disposition of a traveling service unit of a textile machine

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling the lateral disposition of a guide roller of a traveling service unit on a textile machine is provided. The apparatus includes a first support wheel rotatably mounted on the traveling service unit and an adjustable wheel assembly. The adjustable wheel assembly includes a second support wheel laterally spaced from the first support wheel, a device for rotatably mounting the second wheel to the traveling service unit and a device for selectively adjusting the vertical displacement of the second wheel relative to the traveling service unit to maintain the guide roller at a predetermined disposition relative to a guide surface of the textile machine. The device for selectively adjusting the vertical displacement of the second wheel includes, in one aspect of the invention, a cylinder and piston assembly and, in another aspect of the invention, a pair of bell cranks interconnected to one another by a cylinder and piston assembly.

We claim: 
     
       1. In a textile machine of a type having a number of stations arranged in series with one another in a longitudinal direction, a longitudinally extending, laterally facing guide surface and a traveling service unit movable longitudinally along the textile machine at a lateral spacing therefrom for individually servicing the stations, the traveling service unit including a vertical axis guide roller supported thereon for travel along the guide surface in a longitudinal direction, an apparatus for controlling lateral disposition pressure of the guide roller against the guide surface, comprising: a first support wheel rotatably mounted on the traveling service unit for rolling travel on a floor along a path to support the traveling service unit thereon, said first support wheel being at a predetermined vertical displacement relative to the traveling service unit; and   an adjustable wheel assembly including a second support wheel laterally spaced from said first support wheel, means for rotatably mounting said second wheel to the traveling service unit at a selected vertical displacement relative thereto for rolling travel on the floor along a path to support the traveling service unit thereon, the lateral disposition pressure of the guide roller against the guide surface varying in proportion to the ratio of the vertical displacements of said first and second support wheels to one another, and means for selectively adjusting the vertical displacement of said second support wheel relative to the traveling service unit and relative to said first support wheel to achieve a selected vertical displacement ratio at which the guide roller is maintained at a predetermined lateral disposition pressure against the guide surface, whereby the traveling service unit is maintained in a desired operating position laterally of the textile machine.   
     
     
       2. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said second support wheel is spaced laterally further from the textile machine than said first support wheel. 
     
     
       3. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further by a third support wheel rotatably mounted on the traveling service unit for rolling travel along a path generally coincident with the path of travel of said second support wheel to support the traveling service unit thereon and means for selectively adjusting vertical displacement of said third wheel relative to the traveling service unit. 
     
     
       4. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further by a third support wheel rotatably mounted on the traveling service unit for rolling travel on the floor along a path generally coincident with said path of said first floor wheel to support the traveling service unit thereon. 
     
     
       5. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further by a third support wheel laterally spaced from said first wheel, means for rotatably mounting said third wheel on the traveling service unit at a longitudinal spacing from said second wheel and said selectively adjusting means includes means for selectively synchronously adjusting vertical displacements of said second and third wheels relative to the traveling service unit. 
     
     
       6. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 5 and characterized further in that said means for rotatably mounting said second wheel and said means for rotatably mounting said third wheel each include a bell crank means pivotally mounted to the traveling service unit and said selectively adjusting means includes a cylinder and piston assembly, a closed end of said cylinder being connected to said bell crank means of one of said second and third wheels and a free end of said piston being connected to said bell crank means of the other of said second and third wheels, said piston being selectively extendable from, and retractable into, said cylinder for effecting synchronous pivoting of said bell crank means to selectively adjust the vertical displacement of said second and third wheels relative to the traveling service unit. 
     
     
       7. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 5 and characterized further in that said means for rotatably mounting said second wheel and said means for rotatably mounting said third wheel each include a cylinder and piston assembly, each of the respective second wheel and third wheel being rotatably connected to one end of the cylinder and piston assembly, and said selectively adjusting means includes a source of pressurized fluid, means commonly connecting said cylinder and piston assemblies to said pressurized fluid source and means for controlling a supply of pressurized fluid from said pressurized fluid source to said cylinder and piston assemblies to selectively synchronously adjust the vertical displacements of said second and third wheels relative to the traveling service unit. 
     
     
       8. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said selectively adjusting means includes means for electronically adjusting the vertical displacement of said second support wheel relative to the traveling service unit. 
     
     
       9. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 8 and characterized further in that said selectively adjusting means includes means for controlling said electronically adjusting means. 
     
     
       10. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further by means for maintaining said second wheel at a predetermined vertical displacement relative to the traveling service unit during non-engagement of the guide roller with the guide surface of a textile machine. 
     
     
       11. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 7 and characterized further by reservoir means, connected to said pressurized fluid source, for selectively storing pressurized fluid. 
     
     
       12. In a textile machine, the apparatus according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said means for rotatably mounting said second wheel includes a rod rotatably supported on the traveling service unit for axial movement relative thereto, said second wheel being mounted to one end of said rod, and said selectively adjusting means includes a worm gear assembly including a drive worm, a worm gear threaded externally for driving engagement by said drive worm and having a throughbore with an internal worm thread, and an inner worm shaft coaxially movably mounted on said rod and connected thereto by means for resiliently maintaining said inner worm shaft and said second wheel at a predetermined spacing from one another relative to the axis of said rod, said worm gear being rotatably supported on the traveling service unit and said drive worm being operable to rotate said worm gear to effect relative axial movement between said inner worm shaft and said rod, whereby the traveling service unit is vertically displaced relative to said second wheel in correspondence with said relative axial movement between said inner worm shaft and said rod.